N.Y. Mom Fired After Donating Kidney to Help Her Boss

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Source: ABC News

A New York Long Island woman said she was fired after she donated a kidney to help save the life of her boss.

Debbie Stevens, a 47-year-old divorced mother of two, filed a formal complaint with the New York State Human Rights Commission last Friday, claiming her boss used her for her organ then fired her "after the woman got what she wanted." Stevens' boss, 61-year-old Jackie Brucia, is one of the West Islip controllers for Atlantic Automotive Group, a billion-dollar dealership operator. Brucia hired Stevens in January 2009 as an assistant.

"She just started treating me horribly, viciously, inhumanly after the surgery," Stevens told ABCNews.com. "It was almost like she hired me just to get my kidney." Although Stevens turned out to be less than a perfect kidney match for Brucia, Stevens donated her organ to an out-of-state stranger so that Brucia could move up on the organ donor list.

Stevens left the company in June 2010 to move to Florida. She returned to New York in September to visit her daughter, and decided to stop in at the dealership, according to the complaint. It was during this visit that Brucia told Stevens of her need for a kidney transplant.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/News/york-mom-fired-donating-kidney-boss/story?id=16195691

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Wow.

Between this place (Atlantic Automotive Group/NY Auto Group) and the "orange shirt" firings down here in Florida, it's a horse race for worst employer of the year.

Forget a new kidney. It sounds like what Jackie Brucia actually needs is a heart.

[jpak]

1. What a low life POS

yup

[riverbendviewgal]

2. pretty sick

I hope she gets a good settlement.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Settlement for what?

I doubt there was a kidney-for-employment contract in effect.

Some totally despicable acts are not illegal.

[DeschutesRiver]

18. The article said she left her job in 2010; and was just back visiting when her former boss

brought up that she needed a kidney - see last paragraph in OP.

The title says "fired after kidney donation", and that she is seeking a remedy; however, the article excerpt in the OP says she'd already left her job in 2010 and moved to FL, and had only stopped back in to the dealership while coming back to NY for a visit.

So if she didn't work there anymore, how was she "fired" after donating her kidney?

[Art_from_Ark]

19. According to the article:

Stevens left the company in June 2010 to move to Florida. She returned to New York in September to visit her daughter, and decided to stop in at the dealership, according to the complaint. It was during this visit that Brucia told Stevens of her need for a kidney transplant.

"She said she had a possible donor, a friend or something," Stevens said. "But I told her if anything happened that I'd be willing to donate my kidney. She kind of jokingly replied, 'You never know, I may have to take you up on that one day.'"

A few months later, Stevens moved back to Long Island and asked Brucia if she had any job openings. Brucia hired her within weeks.

[Selatius]

3. The more frightening idea is that people like Jackie Brucia run the higher levels of the company.

Imagine somebody like Jackie Brucia in the White House.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Sorta like having Willard in there, I imagine.

The guy who likes being able to fire people, the guy with all the empathy of a shark.

[SunSeeker]

13. Being a sociopath is a CEO job requirement. How else could you live with yourself?

I mean, think of the things you are asked to do in the higher levels of most corporations: outsourcing, denying health coverage, sucking up taxpayer money by way of tax subsidies you don't need (oil, agri-business), selling unneeded war machinery, etc. You have to be able to disconnect your humanity in service of the bottom line.

[freshwest]

4. Gives new meaning to the term 'predatory capitalism.' Or POS. I'd say both.

This needs to get a lot of coverage.

[Justice wanted]

5. Just shows how crazy humanity has become.

[cosmicone]

6. I am practically speechless from outrage.

I hope the jury feels the same and awards the kind woman millions.

[Smilo]

7. Oh Debbie thank you for being a decent human being.......

and I hope you receive everything and more you.

Wishing you a better life and happiness in the future.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Hear, hear!

[GoCubsGo]

8. No good deed goes unpunished.

Not only did Brucia screw over this poor woman, she is making it less likely others will want to donate kidneys. People are going to see what she did to Debbie Stevens and say, "I'm not going to risk being treated like that."

[Serve The Servants]

15. I don't think this will impact anonymous organ donor's future decisions.

However this may make people think twice about donating their kidneys to their asshole boss.

Oh, well...

[atheous]

12. I assume, though not sure

The employer is going to say she was compensated..all in small untraceable bills..
I guess the lesson to be learned is to not donate anything to anyone who can hold power over you.
Sad..

[Serve The Servants]

14. Seems like a very bad combo.

Mixing a compassionate (to a fault) person and a sociopath is always going to be a recipe for disaster, especially when the sociopath has power over the other individual and can take from that person.

[southernyankeebelle]

16. Lesson learned for sure.

[Auntie Bush]

17. I wonder if Brucia ever got her transplant...I sure hope not.

[Evasporque]

20. Note to self: Don't give boss a kidney.....nt